“I’m a foodie”, “I love food”, “I live to eat”, “I woke up thinking about what food I’ll eat today”, “All I need is love.. and good food.” Have you found yourself saying these? Me too. There is nothing wrong in being passionate about food. Although, it is a little worrisome when food acts as a medium to escapism. Have you found yourself feeling stressed/ sad/ frustrated/ tired and craved for something unhealthy to eat? In my case, it happened too often. I realised everybody has a vice they escape to – some smoke, some drink – I felt a bit relieved that I wasn’t one of them. “I dont have such addictions!” I’d say to myself. But then again, I craved an ice cream everytime I was upset. Wait – is food my addiction!? Uh-oh. “Eating your feelings” is actually a thing. When you feel something you don’t want to feel, you eat your feelings – you eat something to escape those feelings. It can happen on a small scale, for eg. I’ve had such a long day, I need a drink ice cream. Or, I fought with xyz, I feel too emotional to deal with this, I’m stepping out for a smoke fat burger. Or, this is something that can happen day to day too.

For example- “my schedule is so busy/I have too much on my plate/I need something to look forward to get through my day, that way I’ll be able to get through the day”Any vice practiced in moderation isn’t bad, until it starts taking control of your life.

Unfortunately, if the discipline to moderate isn’t achievable it can lead to tons of health problems. So I thought of trying two solutions:1) When you really crave something – eat it but in moderation.2) Find another vice (I picked binge watching TV shows/ playing a game on my phone/ reading a book as a destresser)Over time, I gathered some tips that hopefully will be helpful for you too.Be awareI’m not suggesting you to count your calories, because after a point you’ll drive yourself crazy. But be aware of the nutrition values of what you are eating.Did you know a pack of chips contain as many calories as 250g of hummus? It’s OK to eat chips once in a while, but when you’re aware of this, you’ll opt for hummus when you’re bored-hungry instead of chips. Hummus additionally also has lots of protein & fibres.Rewards in moderationWhen you feel like rewarding yourself with food, opt for a smaller portion. Your craving is satisfied & you aren’t consuming too much junk!Sometimes, I reward myself (by spending an extra hour doing a leisurely activity) for being able to reward myself in moderation.A tasty and healthy mid-day snackThe villain of it all is our dear enemy – mid day snack. When you’re terribly busy with work in the evening and you don’t have the patience to look for healthy options to eat – you’re stuck & give in to the whiff of vada pav (guilty).So, problem-solver-Pranita found easy peasy recipes for you. You can prepare this in bulk at the beginning of every week.Craving something crispy? Ditch store bought chips, and try Carrot Chips (click for free download)Want something with a bit of flavour and spice? Try Makhana (Lotus seed) Munchies (click for free download)Craving something sweet? There’s the super healthy Granola (click for free download)Want something creamy that can fill you up? Try Hummus (click for free download)Talk to your feelingsMy biggest takeaway was understanding my body and feelings – to be mindful about my hunger, needs or wants. “Am I really hungry?” “Do I want to eat because I’m stressed?” “Do I want to eat because I’m bored?” Just knowing why you want to eat helps, you’ll automatically do what your heart wants 🙂 By the end of it all, as long as you are healthy, free of diseases/ addictions, remember – beauty comes in all shapes and sizes <3 Please feel free to drop your suggestions that you think may help me or other readers! 🙂 Lots of love, Pranita

#FoodVSFitness is a series that elaborates the almost depressing worries of the food vs fitness dilemmas. The series consists of 10 illustrative scenarios describing the mental pressures one goes through. It talks about the lack of balance between extreme food eating habits or extreme fitness.
Creative Direction, Art Direction & Illustrations: Pranita Kocharekar